ETHICS
An insider’s view of the NFL
The defining moment for a young Mike Pereira ’72 didn’t come on campus or in a classroom. For the centerfielder and finance major, the moment he “found his inspiration” came during his junior year, 1971, on Saturday morning 20 miles north of campus. Attracted by the promise of “30 bucks cash” he had driven up to East Palo Alto to officiate a slate of Pop Warner football games.
“The first time I was on the field with those kids I don’t know what it was, but it was like someone stuck a syringe filled with adrenaline into me,” said Pereira.
Thirty years later, Pereira would be named director of officiating for the NFL. On the way there he was an official for NCAA Division 1 football for 14 years and an NFL official for two. He retired from the NFL after 14 years with the league in 2009 and is currently an analyst for FOX Sports. If a particular play is under review or so complicated it requires an expert’s parsing, he’s the guy who breaks it down for viewers.
Pereira visited the Mission Campus on April 10 for the Ethics at Noon speaker series. The event was co-sponsored by the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, the SCU Athletic Department, and the Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley.
His far-ranging talk touched on his personal journey, which included a battle with testicular cancer—an experience that left a recently graduated Pereira deeply shaken—as well as his views on the current state of the NFL. More than one of his thoughts began “I probably shouldn’t be saying this…” as Pereira was forthright in his appraisal of both the concussion epidemic (“If I did have children, I’m not sure I’d let them play”) and the recent bounty scandal involving the New Orleans Saints (“Did it surprise me? No.”).
The Commonwealth Club has now posted the full talk online, which is steaming and can be found here.
The first 20 minutes or so touch on Pereira’s time at Santa Clara University and his personal journey. From there, he begins talking about the state of the game, providing candid and well-informed reflections during a turbulent time for the country’s most popular sport.
Spring/Summer 2013
Table of contents
Features
Walk Across California
An epic journey whereby one foot is put in front of the other to discover, up close and personal, who and what and where is the Golden State.
Miller's Tale
To tell the story of Bob Miller ’67 is to tell the coming-of-age tale of Las Vegas itself. And it’s the chronicle of a man who served a decade as governor of Nevada. Quite a journey for the son of an illegal bookie from Chicago.
Blood. Sweat. Tears. Repeat.
Nina Acosta ’82 was a tough enough cop to pass the test for the LAPD’s SWAT team. Then she learned the hard way about gender discrimination. So how did she do on Survivor?
Mission Matters
When justice is kidnapped
The 2013 Alexander Law Prize honors Chen Guangcheng, a Chinese civil-rights activist and attorney who protested government abuses—including excessive enforcement of the one-child policy—then escaped house arrest to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.
Double trouble
Growing up tennis with Kelly Lamble ’13 and John Lamble ’14. And Bronco teams that are a force to be reckoned with nationally.
Keep the door open
For teaching and advising and a ministry that’s blessed this place for 48 years—paying tribute to Charles Phipps, S.J.
